The Legend of Zelda: Daughter of Darkness
by TennisWriter456
Summary: I'm not sure what my father, Ganondorf, truly thought of me. But I do know that I'm a weapon in his armory. Perhaps I'm the strongest one he ever had. And now, I know how to use that strength: to avenge my father's death and kill the Hero of Twilight.
1. Chapter 1

**Full summary: Rasha, Ganondorf's daughter and the new holder of the Triforce of Power, has always had one ambition in life: to avenge her ancestors and punish the people of Hyrule for isolating the Gerudos. Her father trained her to do so ever since she was a young girl. But when her father is killed by the great Hero of Twilight, that ambition is taken to another level. She must leave the desert for the first time in her life and do what her father never could: kill the Hero of Twilight. However, Rasha is in for the surprise of her life when she meets the Hero of Twilight and finds him to be completely different than what she expected. **

**Author's Note: Hi everybody! I'm TennisWriter456, and this is my fourth Legend of Zelda fanfiction! I was going to wait until I finished my other one, but I couldn't help it! Haha. First of all, I need to thank ClarinetOverlord for giving me the idea for the story-or, rather, bringing out this idea that was hiding inside of my head. Thanks! Okay, so this is about Link (obviously), Zelda, and Ganondorf's daughter. Strange notion, I know. But don't fret, as the story goes on, everything will be explained! Yay, I really hope you guys enjoy this first chapter! It's short, but I put my all into it! :D**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

I think that deep inside of his mind, Father knew that he would one day be defeated. All of his planning and scheming was only a single part of his overlaying plan, because he somehow predicted that he would be bested. His battles were only the prologue to his conquest. From the moment he began training me, he knew that. I'm not sure what he truly thought of me, but I do know that I'm a weapon in his everlasting armory. Perhaps I'm the strongest one he ever had. Either way, my father had a vision unlike any other. In his head were the twisted yet brilliant prophecies of a new world; a world of more equality. A world where people like us don't have to be isolated for crimes we never committed. I believe in that dream with every ounce of my heart and soul, and I also believe in his idea of doing whatever it takes to attain that world. My life experiences have shaped me to the point where I know my place. And that place isn't here...

It's in a new world.

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**LINK: **I stared, breathless, at the scene before me. Everything we had struggled for had just been attained. The great, mighty Ganondorf stood in front of me, gazing out with eyes as lifeless as the face they had once embellished. All light disappeared from the yellow irises, and his chapped lips were slightly parted in his final frame. For a few moments, I was afraid that my mind was playing tricks on me. Perhaps this was all just another prank in Ganondorf's head, and in a few moments he was going to spring back into action and strangle me as he promised he would. I simply stood there, panting heavily and still attempting to wrap my mind around what had just happened. Had I really just defeated the King of Darkness...?

"Link..." I heard footsteps approach beside me, but I didn't turn my head. In my mind, there was still a significant sense of shock. "We did it."

A cold, slightly trembling hand found its way into mine, and the touch sent shivers down my spine. Finally breaking through my trance, I turned to face Princess Zelda.

"We did it," I echoed quietly, and a small smile broke through my blank features. Her eyes were glistening with tears of joy, and droplets of rain ran down her face and matted her hair against her porcelain skin. "It's over."

With a sob of relief, she stepped into my embrace, burying her face in my chest. Our bodies were numb to the rain that was pouring down upon us, lost in this moment of wonder and solace. The past year had been one of indescribable strife and terror, and now that it was all over, our emotions were beginning to run wildly and without harnesses. We could barely believe it. I found even myself struggling to suppress tears as Zelda wept happily in my arms. It seemed as if for once in my life, my hard work had finally paid off. Everything that I had done in the past year had amounted to something important; something that had changed the world. I wasn't just a ranch boy anymore, struggling to find my place.

I was the Hero of Twilight.

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><p><strong>RASHA: <strong>The tears were slow, warm, and salty as they slivered down my burning cheeks. My eyes, wide and glassy, stared ahead with a dullness that reflected the torturous motions of my soul. The only thing they could see was the tall, tattered flag in the distance, billowing eerily in the stinging desert breeze. Sitting on my rock, hugging my knees and leaning my chin on them, I watched it with undivided attention. The color of the flag was dark, even compared to the dreary atmosphere of the desert. It was a dark red color, darker than even spilt blood. In the center, however, was a spotlight of shimmering gold. Carefully etched into the raggedy red cloth was the familiar symbol of three triangles coming together to form a larger triangle. I had made sure that the flag was placed right in the center of the desert so that if anybody came, no matter from where, they would see it. I wanted the world to see his tribute.

It seemed as if with each passing moment, the sun became hotter against my back and rose higher in the sky. My body and mind, though, were immune to the physical pain that battered them. It was the emotional pain that caused the tears to flow from my eyes in quantities that I didn't think were possible. They were never-ending. I couldn't remember the last time I had allowed myself to cry; yet here I was, not even bothering to wipe the shining tears flowing in flurries. Though my lips trembled, they uttered not a single sound. Perhaps if I didn't say anything, I wouldn't be reminded of it in such a horrible fashion...

There was still no denying what had happened. My father was dead. He had been slain mercilessly by the one person who held any chance of my happiness in his bloody hands. The proof that he was dead was there on the back of my right hand: the golden, shimmering triangle symbolizing my father's demise. The triangle had once glowed on the back of his hand. Now, he was gone, and the burden was left upon me.

Father had been captured over a year ago, promising that he would one day return with the ability to grant us a new, better life; one where we were not left alone to be tortured by the harsh heat of the desert. But now I knew that he would never return. It was now my duty, and my duty alone to finish what he started. The anger and pain building up inside of me gave me the motivation to realize Father's dream. He will not have died in vain.

It was now upon my shoulders to kill the Hero of Twilight.

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><p>"Rasha," Father said. "People will always try to lie to you. They will try to tell you that Hyrule is a good place...that Hylians have good intentions. Never believe them."<p>

"Why? Is Hyrule a bad place?"

"Well, it's more complicated than simply being bad or good."

"Then what is it?" My eyes were wide with wonder and curiosity, but my father's flashed with hatred.

"Hyrule itself is not a bad place." Here, he leaned down and lowered his voice to an urgent whisper; as if he harbored the fear that somebody was listening. "It's been corrupted over the years by its people."

"Well, what's wrong with its people?"

"They're cowards," he spat. "They're afraid of us. That's why they've forced us into isolation. They've been unjust to us for one reason alone: fear."

"How do you know, Father?"

"Rasha, I have been around long enough to know that Hylians are conceited, powerless people. Why do you think we are stuck here in the middle of the desert, struggling to survive? Fear. We barely have enough food and water to get by while they're down there, stuffing their faces and getting fat...and hiding from us."

"Why did they do this to us? Why are they so afraid?"

"Because they know the kind of power that we have, Rasha," Father chuckled almost evilly. "They don't want us to ruin their lifestyles."

"Have you been there before, Father? To Hyrule, I mean?"

"Many times. And it seems as though as the years go by, things are only getting worse." Here, he paused and licked his lips as a smile slowly crept onto his face. "And there's one thing that I've discovered. Rasha, you need to remember this very carefully: the only way to avenge our people is to show the Hylians just how powerful we are. We must give them something _to_ fear."

"Father, not everybody can be afraid of us. There has to be at least one brave Hylian...right?" My brain had a hard time digesting his explanations.

"Well of course there are brave individuals," he admitted. "But they are few. In fact...they are the ones who we must truly defy."

"...Why?"

"The ones who aren't afraid of us are envious of us. They're the real reason that we're shunned from Hylian society. The brave ones are the leaders we must defeat. And this I swear to you, my darling: one day, we will defeat them."

I was fifteen when my father talked to me about that, after I had asked a question about Hyrule and why he hated it so much. It was two years later that he was captured by these brave leaders about which he'd spoken to me...and I never saw him again.

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><p><strong>It was a bit confusing, but don't worry! The second chapter is when the action will start teehee. And please, guys, if you don't like the ideastory, then don't leave me nasty comments and flames. Just don't read it! It's that simple. BUT, I would like some nice reviews and maybe some constructive criticism! Thank you guys, I'll update when I have the time, I love you all! ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two! I rushed in writing it a little bit because I wanted to finish it before I leave for tennis camp. I'll be gone for the next ten days, so don't expect any updates. Sorry! I'll update as soon as I come back, so don't forget about me haha! Anyway, enjoy this chapter! **

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"Rasha, it's almost sundown. Please come back to the village with me."

"No."

"You've been here ever since the funeral ceremony. I'm sure you're hungry."

"I'm fine."

Leila climbed up beside me on the rock, gazing at me with large, worried eyes. I couldn't rip my stare away from the flag that was still floating up above the sand, representing the demise of my father and king.

"You're worrying me," she crooned. Then, she touched my arm gently, and I cringed involuntarily at the contact. My barrier of solitude had unexpectedly been broken. "You're worrying all of us."

"There's nothing to be worried about." My determination to stay on that rock was steadfast, and even my best friend would not be able to defeat it. "I don't want to leave just yet. I feel as if I need to be here."

"Rasha, why?" Leila sighed. "I'm sorry, but he's gone. Your sitting here is not going to change that. And I'm sure King Ganondorf wouldn't want you grieving so much. He would want you to stand up and lead our people."

I buried my face in my knees, shaking my head. Her words triggered an overwhelming sense of hopelessness inside of me, and I felt my stomach begin to churn uncomfortably. I was suddenly nauseous.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that, Leila," I mumbled. She rubbed my back soothingly, and the hard surface of her golden bracelets was cold against my skin.

"It hasn't been a hundred years, though," she began. "We don't have a male heir to the throne. You're the only one connected to the King."

"He shouldn't have died," I replied, lifting my face. The anxiety suddenly disappeared from my comportment, replaced by anger and a thirst for vengeance. Leila removed her hand from my back and put it in her lap nervously. "And I'm going to kill the man who did it. He'll pay for what he did to us...to me."

"Rasha, your father couldn't even kill him. Not to sound pessimistic, but what makes you think that you can?" Awaiting my reaction, she tucked a strand of dark black hair behind her ear, and her golden eyes looked at me innocently. I finally turned to her with a steely gaze, looking over her features with incredulity.

"My father taught me everything he knew," I whispered conceitedly. "Leila, I have the potential to be stronger than he ever was." Here, I lifted my hand in front of her face; almost instantly, the golden triangle began glowing ominously. "And now, I have the Triforce of Power."

"That may be true," Leila wagged a finger. "But the Hero of Twilight has the Triforce of Courage. Not to mention the Princess of Hyrule, who has the Triforce of Wisdom."

"I'll kill them both if I have to."

"You know what I don't understand?" Ignoring the roll of my eyes, Leila leaned backward on her hands and stared up at the colorful sky. "I don't understand why we're going to such lengths to take revenge on the Hylians. If we do what they did to us, doesn't that make us just as bad? And living in Hyrule won't make our lives much better anyway. We'll still be shunned and isolated, either way."

"Leila, that's not the point!" I cried, frustrated with her lack of comprehension. She seemed to be the only Gerudo in the entire village that didn't want to take revenge on the Hylian society, and still, she had managed to become my best friend.

Leila sighed. "I don't care what the point is. I just don't want you to get hurt, Rasha."

I ignored her friendly comment and put my chin on my knees again, though my mind was now distracted from my mourning with thoughts of the Triforce and its various holders. After Father had died, I immediately inherited the Triforce of Power, and I had known it right away. I had felt a newfound power coursing through my body, and I had felt more exuberant than I ever had before. Of course, that exuberance was soon replaced with shock and grief at the knowledge that my father was dead.

"You have to come back sometime," Leila grumbled, playing with a red strand of my hair. "We can't stay out here forever."

"Maybe you can't."

"I hate when you do this..."

After that we were silent, sitting beside each other on that orange rock, staring at my father's tribute. A slight, sandy breeze blew by, representing the slow coming of the desert night. The heat was still intense, though, for the sun had not even descended beyond the horizon yet. Fading stars embellished the sky, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Leila gazing at them with an air of awe. There was a content smile on her face, as if our argument had never taken place. Suddenly, I felt overwhelmingly guilty for the way I had been acting toward her.

"Leila, I'm sorry I'm dragging you into this..." I mumbled.

"You haven't dragged me into anything. If I wanted to leave, I could have," she smiled, still gazing dreamily at the sky.

"Yeah," I sighed, reclaiming my dismal position. Suddenly, I sat up abruptly, slightly startling my distant friend.

"What? What is it?" she asked, watching me as I scoured the desert with narrowed eyes.

"I hear voices," I replied in a hushed tone. In the distance, I could hear soft murmurs, voices carried hauntingly by the wind.

"I don't hear anything," Leila pouted. I lifted my hand to silence her, and continued listening. Slowly, the voices were getting closer.

"There!" I jumped to my feet, pointing excitedly at the horizon. Leila hopped up beside me, squinting.

"What?"

"There are people over there," I explained, brushing the hair from my face. "They don't look like Gerudos to me," I continued, jumping from the rock and onto the sand. Not nearly as gracefully, Leila descended next to me, stumbling forward slightly. "And I think they're headed toward the Mirror Chamber..."

"Oh, great," she moaned to herself.

"Let's go see who they are. I want to know who is invading our desert," I smirked, rolling my neck. Leila groaned, grabbing my arm as I attempted to step forward.

"No, let's leave them! I'm sure they're just minding their own business," she reprimanded. I raised my eyebrows, pulling my arm from her grasp.

"Why? We're not even allowed to go down to Hyrule, so why should we let them come up here?" I ran forward, ignoring Leila's cries of warning.

"Fine, but if I get hurt, I'm blaming you!"

Together, we ran through the sand, against the gusts of wind. Excitement and rage both twirled around inside of me, manifesting themselves in a cruel and bloodthirsty expression on my face. Sure enough, the invaders—I could now make out three of them—turned toward Arbiter's grounds, still unaware of our presence. By the time we reached the entrance, my anxiety had only increased; the last time I had felt so excited had been when I first attained the Triforce of Power. At my heels, Leila was panting and attempting to keep up with my breakneck pace.

"Slow down, Rasha!" she begged. I didn't point it out, but I could see the hint of a smile tugging at the edges of her lips. I knew her well enough to notice that she wasn't as reluctant as she tried to convey.

"Come on. Let's see what they do at the chamber," I smiled, grabbing her hand. We entered Arbiter's grounds, following the mysterious group of outsiders that had dared to enter our sacred temple.

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><p>"Down there," I whispered. Leila and I were crouched behind a pillar of the Mirror Chamber, watching diligently as the three intruders approached the Mirror of Twilight. Now, I could make out two women and one man, speaking with each other.<p>

"Rasha, that's a Twili!" Leila cried, widening her eyes. Just as she had said, a Twili with glowing red hair and orange eyes stood at the bottom of the stairs, speaking with the two Hylians. "I can understand a Twili being here, but why Hylians?"

"Shh!" I urged, craning my neck to hear what they were saying.

"I swear, if I get killed doing this—"

"So I guess this is farewell, huh?" the Twili said. Her words were muffled, and I could just barely hear them. The rest of the conversation became blurry, but my curiosity urged me to get closer. Gesturing urgently for Leila to follow, I gracefully made my way down toward a closer level, hiding behind another pillar just above the mirror. Leila, struggling to keep quiet and keep her balance simultaneously, finally appeared beside me.

"I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world... They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes... That is what I believe," said the Hylian woman. She looked like a true Hylian, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a pink dress to match. The man was still silent, but I watched him with a wary eye.

"Zelda...your words are kind, and your heart is true," smiled the Twili. My heart stopped.

"Rasha!" Leila grabbed my arm tightly and looked at me with frightened eyes. "That's the Princess of Hyrule!"

"So that must mean..." I glanced back down at the man. He was smiling softly, also with blue eyes, and shaggy blond hair beneath a green cap. Suddenly, just this distant sight of him made me sick to my stomach, and I had a momentary fear that I was going to faint.

"Link...I...See you later..." the Twili addressed the man.

_Link..._ I repeated his name in my head, scowling and trying to keep my head clear. Then, while Leila and I watched in wonder, the Twili ran up the stairs and into the mirror, shattering it in her wake. The man and the princess stood, as breathless as we were, staring after the Twili woman and the broken mirror. Leila gasped beside me, flinching at the loud sound. It resonated clearly throughout the coliseum; ringing in my ears endlessly. The man still had not said a single word.

"That's him," I finally said. Leila caught her breath, inching nearer to me. "That's the man who killed my father."

"Rasha, don't do anything stup—"

"I'm going to kill him!" I suddenly shouted, losing control of all of the emotions stirring inside of me. Without a single thought other than the death of this Hylian man dressed in green, I stood up and moved to leap toward him.

"No!" Before I could complete my descent, Leila grabbed my arms, pulling me back behind the pillar. The Princess and the man had heard my screaming, and were now looking around anxiously. "Don't, Rasha! Control yourself!" Leila was whispering as she attempted to keep us hidden.

My temper and my lust for blood was only getting stronger, and I struggled against Leila's grasp.

"Let go!" I cried, tears stinging my eyes. My father's face in my head was telling me to go...to get rid of the Hero of Twilight once and for all...

"Calm down! Look at me, Rasha, look at me!" she whispered, managing to whirl me around. She grabbed my shoulders, looking at me with pleading pupils. I saw my crazed reflection in her eyes, and that seemed to calm me down, if only just slightly...

I still struggled, but Leila held on tightly.

"You can't go down there! If that really is the Hero of Twilight, you don't stand a chance! With the princess there, too, you'll be killed!" she warned, staying safely hidden behind the pillar. "Courage and wisdom together will triumph over power alone. It happened once, it can happen again."

All of my strength and anger seeped out of me, and as I leaned my forehead against her shoulder, I began to weep. She wrapped her arms around me, but my body was numb to the touch. When I closed my eyes, I saw the blurry, far-away face of the Hero of Twilight, taunting me with his distance.

"Shh, it'll be okay," Leila whispered, rubbing my back. I took a deep, cleansing breath, taking a few moments to compose myself and regain control of my thoughts. Finally, I pulled away, looking at Leila with bloodshot eyes.

"Leila," I whispered. "I _will_ kill him."

"Just not today, Rasha, please," she pleaded.

_Not today..._ I clenched my teeth. _But one day soon._

I peered around the pillar. The princess and the hero were gone.

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><p><strong>Yeah, it's not my favorite chapter ever. But let me know what you thought! I'll see you in ten days! I love you all! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! Sorry that this update has taken so long, but I've been busy with many other things. I hope that you guys enjoy it, though, and thank you to everybody who has read or reviewed this story. Enjoy :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**RASHA: **Leila and I were slow in making our way back to the village, mostly because my knees were trembling in terror. Every single time I blinked, every single time my eyes closed for even a split second, I was haunted by the face of my father's murderer. And even stranger was the fact that he looked nothing like I expected. He was not large and ferocious, with wild, bloodshot eyes shimmering with a lust for death. He did not bare his teeth to reveal sharp fangs, or clench his fists with claws as large as the desert itself. I couldn't get a clear look at him, but I know that he was not the monster I had imagined in my head. He was a different kind of monster.

"Go home and get some sleep," Leila suggested as we neared the village. "Right now, it's the only thing you need to do."

"No it's not," I argued solemnly. "I need to train."

"Stop it!" Leila cried in exasperation. "The past few days have been hell for you! You need to relax."

"And the rest of my life is going to be hell if I don't kill the Hero of Twilight as soon as possible. And I'll kill anybody who gets in my way."

"Simply training isn't going to do it," Leila sighed. "Your father trained for practically his entire life. His plan was almost foolproof...almost. Even with all of that strength and training and power, he was still defeated."

"I'll train harder," I swallowed anxiously. Her words were beginning to sink into my brain, and the panicky side of me was kicking in. "I'll become stronger."

"Rasha."

I hadn't realized that we had entered quiet streets of the village and were now standing in front of Leila's tent. She was gazing at me with desperate yet logical eyes, and for a few moments there was a deafening silence in the air between us.

"Power alone is not going to be enough," she stated. Then, while I stared at the sand with narrowed eyes, she pulled me into a friendly hug. I half-heartedly returned the embrace, still trying to organize my distracted thoughts. "Go home and get to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Leila," I responded. She gave me one last empathetic smile, and then disappeared into her small hut. Still feeling disillusioned with Leila's explanations, I made my way back to my own home.

For three years, I had been living on my own. On the day that my father was stolen away from me, my warm and welcoming home had become an isolated and traumatizing abode. Yes, other villagers had offered a place in their homes for me, but my pride refused. Especially as the daughter of the king, it would be dishonorable to intrude on somebody else's house. Still, I knew that it had been my pride and self-esteem that kept me from moving in with somebody. And though it had been difficult at first, I had gradually become accustomed to the hardships. In fact, living alone had made me stronger.

I walked into my hut and, finally, collapsed on my bumpy and tattered bed. But even alone, I would not let another tear slip. I had already shown enough in front of Leila; I knew that my pride would not allow my composure to slip again. I just hadn't known how to react to my first sight of the hero. The gears in my mind whirred with the ideas with which Leila had planted it, and her words incessantly echoed in my mind. Though I would never admit it, even to my best friend, she was right. Power would not be enough for me. I needed something else if I wanted to defeat the hero, something that my father did not have. Something that I could use to my advantage...

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><p><strong>LINK: <strong>I stood before the princess among the rubble of the once great Hyrule castle, surrounded by a circle of silent and sturdy guards. A small smile was on her face, and in her hand was a thin golden sword. My own fingers twitched in response to the emptiness; I was tempted to draw my own sword. I managed to restrain myself and continued to gaze into her eyes evenly. The guards were as still as statues, staring forward into what seemed to be oblivion. My inattentive spirit made it difficult for me to hold the stare with the princess. I was eagerly awaiting her to speak, and I was beginning to get impatient.

"Link," she finally began. I almost cringed when I heard my name rolling beautifully off of her tongue. A soft breeze blew by, and ashes surrounded her ominously. "Hero of Twilight."

"Princess," I responded quietly. Then I fell to my knee respectfully, keeping my head bowed before my ruler. I didn't lift my eyes when I felt her take a few steps closer. The silence was deafening as I awaited her next words.

"You saved Hyrule," she continued. I remained quiet. "For that, you deserve all of the thanks in the world."

"I was simply doing my duty to my kingdom," I said modestly. I heard her chuckle softly, and the corners of my mouth twitched.

"For now, this is the only thing I can give you," Zelda said. I felt her lift the sword. And then, sending shivers down my spine, she tapped its blade softly on my shoulders; first my right, and then my left. "Rise, Royal Knight."

Obediently, I lifted myself to my feet. I hadn't realized how closely the princess was standing to me, and with such little distance between us, her face resembled that of a perfect, porcelain doll. I kept my face as blank as a slab of stone, for in the company of a princess, it was only a matter of proper manners.

"As an official knight of Hyrule, I welcome you to the Royal Guard," Princess Zelda proclaimed.

"Thank you."

There was a bright twinkle in her eye. Without warning, she lifted a slender, gloved hand. "Leave us alone, for a few moments."

"As you wish, your Highness." Almost in perfect synchronization, the Royal Guards marched off of the ruins of the castle, leaving the two of us alone in the center of the remains.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence and stone gazes, Zelda's fingers loosened around the hilt of the thin sword with which she had just knighted me. It fell to the ground with a cloud of dust, and I took a step forward as she smiled dazzlingly. Silently, I bowed at the waist, lifted her hand, and brought it to my lips. The contact left a sweet and lingering taste on my lips. Though the sky was gray and the ashes still covered the ground, there was a strange beauty about it. Everything about that moment seemed oddly perfect. I would not have wanted the sun to be out, or for the castle to be towering above us. The current situation was the ideal situation.

"Link," she murmured, "I owe you so much more."

I shook my head, letting my lips hover over her hand.

"No," I reassured. "This is all I can ask for."

She lifted her face to look at me with those gorgeous eyes, and I gave her a soothing smile. The giddiness swiftly increased inside of my heart as I imagined the future: the rebuilding of the castle, my new position as a Royal Knight, and spending every day by the princess's side. There was nothing more that I needed...nothing more that I wanted.

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><p><strong>RASHA: <strong>It was a harsh knock on my door the next morning that ripped me from my nightmare. I jolted up in bed, sweating as I kicked off my rough blanket. I could feel the precipitation running down my face, and while I sat panting heavily, the rap came once again at the entrance of my hut. My mind was still becoming adjusted to the reality of my world, for I had been so mercilessly ripped from my dream fantasies; regardless of the fact that those fantasies left me shaken and fearful, I was still in a daze.

"Rasha? Are you in there?" came the familiar voice. I rubbed my eyes, and stood up shakily.

"Yes, yes, come in." The light poured in from the door as it opened, and I lifted a hand to cover my narrowing eyes. They still only saw the darkness of my nightmares, and the silhouette of the hero's face was imprinted in my vision.

"Wow, I've never seen you sleep this much." A dark figure entered my house, and then fortunately closed the door behind it. It was then that I realized the figure was in fact Nour, a member of our tribe who was only a few years older than me. I clenched my teeth, trying to suppress my disappointment in her arrival.

"Nour, what do you want? Do you have to wake me up this early?"

"Are you insane? It's the middle of the afternoon. Your timing is way off," Nour laughed in that shrill, irritating voice of hers. At her words, my jaw dropped, and I pressed my palm to my forehead in confusion.

"The afternoon? How in Din's name was I sleeping that long?" I said, more to myself than to Nour. She simply shrugged, and then ran her fingers through her short orange bob.

"Anyway, I didn't come here just to irritate you," she continued. Still trying to wrap my mind around this unusual situation, I put my hands on my hips and looked at her incredulously. "We have to go hunting."

"Didn't we go yesterday?"

"Apparently, we didn't get enough," she explained accusingly. "We only have enough meat for tonight. So we have to go."

"All right," I yawned. Nour continued to stare at me with an evident expression of contempt, and I tried to ignore it. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go prepare the hunters! I'll be out in a minute!"

"Fine," Nour rolled her yellow eyes. "Just hurry up, will ya?" With an aura of arrogance still surrounding her, she turned around and marched out of my home. I stared after her, feeling my muscles tense unnecessarily. Taking a few moments to calm myself, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply...breathe in...breathe out...

I just went through the motions of getting ready. I walked to the basin of water beside my bed and splashed my face, beginning to feel the stick of the afternoon desert air. My actions were mechanical while I slipped my golden bangles over my wrist and instinctively ran my fingers through the tangled strands of my red hair. Of course, there were no mirrors, so I was left constantly wondering whether I looked presentable or not; then again, looking presentable was not a priority in my village. In my bare feet, strapless clothe covering my torso, and veil over my mouth, I moved across the dirty floor of my hut and finally walked out into the sun with my crossbow in hand.

"Good afternoon, sleepy head," Leila greeted as I strolled past her. I kept myself from rolling my eyes and merely sighed.

"Hi, Leila," I said grouchily. "How could you let me sleep that long?"

"You've been through a lot in the past couple of days," she shrugged with a good-natured smile. "I figured you could use some rest." I couldn't help but smile back.

"We're going hunting," I explained to her. "We need meat for tomorrow." Leila, in a much more enthusiastic mood than yesterday, furrowed her brow.

"Really? Soon, we're not going to have enough meat at all," she sighed. "Oh, well. We'll find a way to survive." Though she was laughing, I failed to find her small joke the least bit amusing. "Well, have fun."

Without another word, I moved to join the group of hunters gathered at the edge of the village. Like me, they wore veils over their nose and mouth, but they held bows and arrows in their hands. They all stared at me evenly as I approached, my fingers tracing the hilt of my crossbow as I stepped. I stood before them for a few moments in silence, looking over my ranks with a scrutinizing expression. They were fidgety as they attempted to keep eye contact, and the only one who held my gaze was Nour, and she had a look of conceit on her pompous features.

"All right," I said icily, ignoring her glare. "Let's go hunting."

I led the way toward the ranch without turning around.

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><p><strong>I'll try to update the next chapter sooner! Review and tell me what you thought :) Thank you guys! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, I have some good excuses for taking this long. First I felt uninspired with the story line and actually quite skeptical about it, and I even considered discontinuing the story. But then I started liking it again, and I finally decided to finish this god-forsaken chapter. Please don't be too harsh. I'm not completely dedicated yet. **

**Oh, and Trold, I did go back and edit Link's part in Chapter three if you want to have a look. Thanks for the advice haha. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

My father taught me as a young girl the art of breeding horses. And, just like him, my favorite horses were the black ones. They had a dark passion about them, and when I looked into their deep amber eyes, I could see the reflection of my people swirling inside of them. My father's horse was as black as night, and so mine was as well. Those horses represented our civilization and the way we've survived. I led my group of hunters into the decrepit and shabby barn, and breathed in the familiar scent of the majestic beasts. I heard their soft whinnies, and even before moving through the aisle, I could feel their emanating warmth. The women following at my heels seemed to have the same comfortable reaction; as the Gerudo people, breeding these horses was our life.

We dispersed, each huntress moving to her own noble steed. I could've walked with my eyes closed, my feet knew the way so well. My magnificent gelding poked his head out of his stall, sensing my familiar advances. As his eyes met mine, he let out an excited whinny, and bobbed his head. Smiling softly, I ran my tan hands along his face, left in wonder at the smoothness and warmth of his skin.

"Hey, boy," I cooed. "Hey Aswad." He whinnied in response to his name.

"Can you stop fawning over your horse so we can get going?"

I whirled around to face Nour, whose copper-colored mare was already saddled, gazing at me with a seemingly pretentious gaze.

"...Fine."

Trying to maintain my composure and keep Nour dissatisfied, I patiently led Aswad from his stall and began the complicated routine of preparing him. Of course, it was second nature to me; it was second nature to all of us. Before slipping the bit into his mouth, I grabbed the nearest apple—a brown, shriveled up fruit—and held it up for him. Gratefully, he snatched it from my fingers, chewing incessantly.

"And finally, the princess has finished," Nour joked, provoking nervous laughter from the other riders. They were immediately silenced by the dangerous glares I spread over their ranks, and Nour scoffed as I nimbly mounted my shining horse. My crossbow was slung across my shoulder, and I adjusted my position instinctively as the other hunters mimicked my position.

"All right, girls," I proclaimed. "Let's go hunting."

I pushed Aswad into a gallop and led the pack away from the village and into the desert.

As a younger girl, hunting used to be one of my favorite activities. It provided me with an adrenaline rush and a much-needed challenge in this isolated and desolate place. The game was plentiful, the meat replenishing and the hunt enjoyable. Nowadays, with our amount of prey swiftly diminishing, hunting had become more of a chore than anything. We had to hunt sparingly, trying to keep the game alive long enough to keep ourselves sustained...at least, until we were able to return to Hyrule and reclaim our places as citizens. And once this game was gone, we would have nothing but the stolen goods we only rarely received. There were the horses, but nobody in the village would ever dare to lay a hand on the precious animals. We would have to send more raids into Hyrule, in which we almost always lost one or two of our women. It was not a risk that I was very willing to take.

I would rather be able to walk into Hyrule without having to worry about being killed or imprisoned.

The sand rushed past below Aswad's constantly moving hooves, making it seem as if we were hovering nimbly over the desert. The heat was intense, but we'd all grown used to it, and there was barely a single drop of sweat on my face. Our group moved further and further from the village, deeper into the desert. We naturally made our way to the entrance of Arbiter's grounds, where the Bullbos and Moldorms usually gathered. There were few of them left, but if we wanted to feed our children, we needed to hunt them down.

"There are two over there," I suddenly said, pulling back on the reins and forcing Aswad to a loyal stop. He shifted his position impatiently in the sand as the other horses halted behind us. Nour, of course, pulled up right beside me.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" she called, raising her spear.

"No, Nour." I narrowed my eyes at her, putting up my hand. The other girls looked around at each curiously. "They're fast. If we go in without a plan, they'll run away, and—"

"Why does it matter? There are seven of us and only two of them. And our horses are faster anyway." She rolled her eyes and scrutinized the large pigs ravenously. "Let's just go."

The other girls seemed to agree with her...

I began to panic. How was I supposed to follow in my father's footsteps as leader of the Gerudo if I couldn't even get this group of hunters to agree with me? Nour had them wrapped around her finger, and she was in the position in which I should've been. The other hunters should've been listening to _me_. I was the leader, daughter of the great King of Thieves...

"No," I persisted. At this point, I was arguing irrationally. I just couldn't stand the thought of them choosing Nour over me. "We should approach slowly and kill them from afar. It will be much easier that way."

"Oh please, Rasha," she scoffed. "You and I both know that it would be easier to rush at them, surround them, and kill them on the spot."

My temper was beginning to get the best of me; I could feel the rage pulsing through my heated blood.

"I'm the leader, you do what _I_ say, got it?"

"You're not my leader."

"Yes I am. I'm the only heir to the throne." My fingers tightened around Aswad's reins, and he snorted uncomfortably. I barely even noticed.

"What, because your _father_ was the leader?" Nour raised her eyes at me. "I find that to be very poor reasoning. Your father was the worst leader the Gerudos have ever seen. He promised us prosper and riches. What did he give us?"

I was suddenly blinded with rage.

"Starvation and rags, that's what—"

I flew at the speed of light off of Aswad, straight toward Nour. She could barely manage a yelp of surprise as I knocked her off of her horse, pushing her straight into the sand. I pinned her arms and looked straight into her eyes, hyperventilating with anger. For a moment, I saw a flash of fear in her eyes; slowly, it dissolved into impudence. My uncontrollable wrath increased.

"Don't talk about my father like that," I hissed. "He wasn't the worst leader. He was the best."

"Rasha," she purred, "you don't understand. What has our life been like under the reign of your father? Huh? Tell me that."

"Stop it! He did everything he could to help us!"

"You're so _stupid!_" Nour pushed me off of her with a grunt of frustration and stood up, dusting herself off. I mimicked her actions, keeping my teeth clenched and my fists tight. "Are you completely blind to the world around you?"

"No, I know what my father did, and I know that he cared about his people," I argued. My head was spinning. Nobody had ever spoken of Father like this, and to be completely truthful, I didn't know how to react.

"You know what your father cared about, Rasha?" She spat when she said my name. "Himself. He could've asked us to help him kill the Hero of Twilight. He could've asked us to help him take over Hyrule. What did he do?"

She narrowed her eyes, and my heart skipped a beat.

"He asked a _Twili_ to help him. Not even his own people."

I opened my mouth and screamed at the top of my lungs. Nour stumbled back in surprise, blinking at my sudden outburst. Then, with a speed incomparable by any other Gerudo, I lifted my crossbow and pointed it at her. She caught her breath, eyeing me with evident fright swimming in her irises.

"Rasha, what are you...AH!"

I shot the crossbow. It zoomed right past her ear, and she stood in shock as it whistled through the dry desert air. The other girls screamed. Finally, she turned around, and saw a Bullbo lying on its side, its forehead pierced by my arrow. Its eyes were still open, shining hauntingly in the sun.

"I am the leader," I finally growled, putting my crossbow back over my shoulder. "And I will kill the Hero of Twilight. I will finish my father's job."

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><p>Leila sat cross-legged inside of my house, hunched over her dusty and open book. I lay on my bed with my arms behind my head and scraggly red hair, staring up at the ceiling with a distant expression. With each minute that passed, I heard another page of her tome flip, and my lips twitched with each minuscule disturbance. Every so often, I could hear an incomprehensible murmur from her lips, or the billowing the cold desert wind rattling the surrounding night.<p>

"Rasha, you really should read this book." Leila finally broke the silence and straightened her back, a large smile plastered onto her energetic features. My eyes moved just barley to where she sat, but I didn't move.

"I hate reading."

"But it's really interesting," she persisted, looking back down at her book.

"Where did you even get that?" I scoffed. She shrugged absentmindedly, as if she hadn't heard the question. Or perhaps she simply didn't want to answer. I rolled my eyes and then closed them for a few moments.

"I've always loved science, but astronomy is definitely my favorite," Leila continued. When I opened one eye, I saw her practically jumping in her seat and biting her lower lip. "The constellations and the stars and the moon and—It's just fascinating!"

"Oh yeah. Extremely."

"But even better than science is _history_. I have this one book, back home, and it—"

"Leila!" I suddenly jerked up in bed, turning on her with a furious expression. She blinked a few times, and then furrowed her brow. "Can't you think of anything but your dumb books?"

As always, Leila just smiled and looked away.

"We all have our own passions," she replied. Then she continued reading. With a heavy sigh of exasperation, I ran my hands over my exhausted features and leaned my elbows on my knees.

"Leila, I'm sorry, it's just," I began, unsure of how to continue. She looked up at me with that same phlegmatic expression. "I can't stop thinking about the Hero of Twilight and what you said. And you're right...I can't defeat him with power alone."

"Nope." She was still consumed with her book, but I knew her well enough to realize that she was in fact listening to me.

"But how else can I defeat him?" I lay back down, rubbing my eyes idly. There was silence for a long time after that, until she finally broke it.

"Rasha, I kind of want to go down to Hyrule, too," she admitted. I sat back up in surprise and stared at her. She had closed her book. "I mean, after you've conquered it and everything. I mean, Hylians are such intellectual beings. I'm sure they have so many books and theories..."

I couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable, hysterical laughter. As I clutched my stomach and attempted to surprise my erratic giggling, Leila sat placidly, watching me with an amused expression.

"_That's_ why you want to go down to Hyrule? Really, Leila?"

"Well, why do you?"

"Because," I sighed, "my father wanted to. He saw something in Hyrule, something that made him want it with all of his soul."

"That's not a good reason." Leila furrowed her brow and shifted her position uneasily. "You want it, but you don't even know why?"

"Well, I know my first reason," I raised an eyebrow. "I can't kill the Hero of Twilight unless I go down there."

"Oh please, not this again..."

"I want to go down there, and I want to go soon."

"Be rational about this," Leila pleaded, her dark eyes sparkling. "You have no plan whatsoever."

"And that's what's killing me," I said through clenched teeth. "I don't know how I'm going to do it."

"More training isn't really going to help you. You're the most powerful and agile Gerudo in the village." She took on a more pensive expression and twisted up her mouth, the way she does when she goes deep into the inner workings of her complicated mind. "Like I said, you need something that your father didn't have to defeat him."

"Yeah..."

I painstakingly remembered what Nour had said to me that morning, about my very own father.

_"Your father was the worst leader the Gerudos have ever seen. He promised us prosper and riches." _

I told myself at that moment to do what my father couldn't do...no, what he didn't have time to do. He would've done it. He would've saved his people, but the Hero of Twilight got in the way. It was his fault that we were living in squalor, struggling to survive.

_How...How?_ I ripped at my hair in frustration, gritting my teeth. Leila simply stared at me, concern written all over her features.

"You'll figure it out," she consoled. "If you just give it time, it'll come to you."

"That's exactly what we don't have, Leila," I replied in disillusionment. "Time. We're going to die if I don't do something."

She had no way to reply, and continued looking at me with those wide golden eyes. At that moment, I said something even I hadn't been expecting.

"I'm going down to Hyrule."

"_What?_ Have you completely lost your sanity?" Letting the book drop from her lap, Leila scrambled to her feet and glared at me as if I were mad. I looked back at her evenly. "You can't do that without a plan!"

"Like you said, it will come to me."

"Okay, it's official. You're crazy!" she screamed. "What are we supposed to do here while you're down there trying to think of ways to kill Mr. Hero, huh?"

"Leila, you should've heard what Nour said to me today," I hissed. The anger of that morning returned to me in an emotional rush, and I had to close my eyes to regain my composure. "You should've heard what she called my father."

"It doesn't matter what Nour said," she sighed. "What she said isn't going to make it safer to go down to Hyrule."

"Leila?"

"What."

"Come with me."

"You're even crazier than I thought."

"You said yourself, you want to learn about their ideas," I persuaded. Her mouth was locked open and her eyes were narrowed.

"Yeah, but I'd rather not get _killed_ at the same time." She began pacing the room. "Please don't do this. It's way too dangerous."

"But necessary. We have nothing else to do, nowhere else to go," I said, and my voice was rising. "This is our only choice!"

She stopped, leaning her forehead on her open palm. For a few moments, the only sound was the jingle of her signature golden bracelets and the combinations of our heavy breathing. Then, slowly, she began shaking her head.

"Rasha..." she began. "If we die, I'm never forgiving you."

And then she flashed me that small, comforting smile she always gave me before giving in to my eccentric plans.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I still have time to change my mind." Leila bent over and with a grunt of effort picked up her book. "Now go to bed."

She left without another word.

_Father?_ My gaze turned up toward the ceiling. My eyelids were beginning to droop dangerously. _I'm actually going down to Hyrule. I'm going to confront the Hero of Twilight for you, and I'm going to kill him. I'm going to show the world that you really were the best leader of the Gerudos. I won't let you die in vain._

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><p><strong>All right, that's it for now! I hope you enjoyed it :) Leave reviews, and hopefully I'll update sooner next time! Thanks guys!<strong>_  
><em>


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